WASHINGTON, D.C. – During the closing days of its first session, U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) introduced bipartisan legislation into the 119th Congress to promote active and healthier lifestyles for all Americans.
To establish reliable guidelines on healthy standards for physicians, lawmakers, educators and the general public, the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a decennial document titled “Physical Activity Recommendations (PAR) for Americans”
“Declining physical activity has been linked to more than $100 billion in annual health care costs,” Moore explains in his role as chair of the Health Care Task Forces of the House Budget Committee.
“Beyond those financial implications,” he adds, “sedentary lifestyles also pose a significant threat to Americans’ long-term quality of life.”
The HHS reports that more than 40 percent of American adults and 19 percent of youngsters are considered obese, according to members of Moore staff in Washington.
Obesity can lead to a variety of chronic or life-threatening diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers, they emphasize.
A widespread lack of physical activity is a significant contributor to the increased onset of those conditions, which greatly diminishes Americans’ quality of life and increases the cost of U.S. health care systems.
“Young students and adults in many professions often don’t prioritize regular physical exercise or don’t know where to start,” Moore believes.
The administration of former President George W. Bush published the first-ever “Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG) for Americans” in 2008, including specific recommendations for children, adults, pregnant and post-partum mothers, the disabled and even those with chronic mental conditions.
Although a second PAG edition was commissioned during the first Trump administration in 2018, there is no formal process calling for subsequent revision of those guidelines.
Moore’s proposed legislation would ensure that federal recommendations on fitness and physical activity for the general public are based on the latest science by setting a mid-decade agenda for their publication and distribution.
“The recommendations that will come as a result of (the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act) will be a tremendous resource for parents, schools, lawmakers and health providers as we help each other stay active,” Moore argues.
The proposed legislation is being co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jimmy Penetta (D-CA) and is supported by the American College of Sports Medicine.